hurdy-gurdy in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

Also called "organistrum", the hurdy gurdy is a Medieval instrument that is still used in some parts of Europe as a folk instrument. It has the shape of a viol, but it is bowed mechanically, and has only four strings, two of which act as drones. The melody strings are "bowed" by a wheel. There is also a system of keys which, when pressed, activate a mechanism which stops the strings at different places, thus producing the tune.

In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the terms:

[Latin] organistrum

Popular questions related to hurdy-gurdy

For this reason, the hurdy-gurdy is often used interchangeably or along with bagpipes. It is mostly used in Occitan, Aragonese, Cajun French, Asturian, Cantabrian, Galician, Hungarian, and Slavic folk music. It can also be seen in early music settings such as medieval, renaissance or baroque music.

Loosely related to the modern-day violin, the hurdy-gurdy has a nasally, bright sound, a buzzing timbre, and drone strings. It is played by turning a wheel with one hand and operating a keyboard with the other to change pitch.

Making it more suitable for chamber. Music nowadays the hurdy gurdy is used in folk and world music and had a brief cameo in the hit children's film The Polar Express. So when I turn this handle it

The hurdy-gurdy is a fascinating instrument which dates back to medieval times, but which is today enjoying a popular revival in many countries, particularly France, both as a folk instrument and for the performance of medieval and 18th- century music.

There are Patty Gurdy and her Band Storm Seeker, also Michalina Malisz from Eluveitie, Konstanze Kulinsky from Adaro/La Marmotte, Anna Murphy ex Eluveitie now at Cellar Darling. Some Bands that sporadically use Hurdy Gurdies are: Faun, Schandmaul, Subway to Sally, Corvus Coax/Tanzwut, In Extremo and Saltatio Mortis.

Stemming from Sweden, the nyckelharpa (Swedish: [ˈnʏ̂kːɛlˌharːpa], plural nyckelharpor), meaning "keyed fiddle" or "key harp", is a bowed chordophone, similar in appearance to a fiddle or violin, which employs key-actuated tangents along the neck to change the pitch during play, much like a hurdy-gurdy.

Today's hurdy gurdy is roughly the same as those built in the middle ages. It has three to six strings which are caused to vibrate by a resined wheel turned by a crank. Melody notes are produced on one string, or two tuned in unison, by pressing keys which stop the string at the proper intervals for the scale.

Top 5 most difficult instruments to play

Violin. The violin is a commonly learnt instrument, so you may be surprised to see this lying at the top of this list!
Bagpipes. The bagpipes rank high in this list for their challenging physical demands.
French horn.
Hammond organ.
Accordion.

There appear to have two two types of hurdy-gurdy at the time: a larger, louder, lute-shaped instrument (vielle en luth), and a smaller, softer, more rectangular instrument (vielle en guitarre).

The hurdy-gurdy was first mentioned in the 10th century as the organistrum. It was then a church instrument played by two men, one fingering the keys, one turning the wheel. Secular, one-man forms, called symphonia, appeared in the 13th century.

If you're looking for an easy instrument to learn, any of these options fit the bill:

HARMONICA. One of the easiest instruments you can take up, which is also very popular in a variety of styles, is the harmonica.
GUITAR.
UKULELE.
KEYBOARD.
DRUMS.

Overall, the guitar is easier to learn than the piano. If you consider the layout, learning songs, the ability to self-teach and a few other things, it is an easier instrument. However, it's the easiest on average for everyone.